Eisenkot Targets 58 Seats for Israeli Government as Bennett and Liberman Object

Gadi Eisenkot has proposed a path to power that splits the Israeli opposition. He wants to form a minority government if the anti-Netanyahu bloc wins 58 or 59 seats in the upcoming election. Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman, key figures in the camp, reject the plan.

Eisenkot seeks the lead candidate position for the new government. He refuses to serve under Benjamin Netanyahu, even in a rotating arrangement. His strategy relies on the legal distinction between forming a government and removing one. A new government needs a majority in a confidence vote to be sworn in, not necessarily 61 votes in favor. Abstentions would allow the cabinet to take office under this structure.

Bennett and Liberman argue that the bloc must secure a full Zionist majority of 61 seats. Liberman categorically opposes a minority government, including a transitional version. He states that another election is preferable to a cabinet that lacks his required support. Bennett and Yair Lapid, who lead the Beyachad list, also demand a government that does not rely on votes or abstentions from Arab parties.

The opposition camp currently trails the outgoing coalition in some polls, though others show it ahead. The Zionist parties seeking change fall short of the 61-seat threshold under their current agreements. Netanyahu and his allies also lack a clear majority in many surveys. A small shift in votes near the electoral threshold could determine whether Israel gets a new administration or faces political instability.

Eisenkot has not ruled out support from the Ra'am party, but no formula exists for that cooperation. Yair Golan, chair of the Democrats party, has also left the door open to working with Ra'am. Eisenkot and Liberman met this week and agreed to boost voter turnout. They did not resolve their disagreement over the governing structure. Leadership rivalry persists, with Eisenkot aiming to head the largest party and Bennett citing his prime ministerial experience as a qualification.

The parties are also negotiating the replacement of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. The bloc views this as a priority before any coalition deal is finalized. Controlling the speakership would give Netanyahu's opponents control of the parliamentary agenda, even if he remains as caretaker head of government. The speaker is elected in a public vote early in the new term. The bloc could use support from Arab party members to secure a majority for an agreed candidate.

Names under consideration for the speakership include Chili Tropper, Matan Kahana, and Elazar Stern from Eisenkot's list. Candidates from the Bennett-Lapid list include Meirav Ben-Ari and Eitan Ginzburg. Efrat Rayten of the Democrats and attorney Oded Forer of Yisrael Beytenu are also in the mix. Liberman estimates that up to one-third of outgoing coalition members might vote against Ohana, though they would need to do so openly.

The opposition group also plans to push for a state commission of inquiry into October 7 and changes to conscription law. They seek limits on prime ministerial tenure and the repeal of certain judicial changes from the outgoing government. Liberman wants a bar on candidates facing criminal charges serving as prime minister. Party teams have begun coordinating on these issues, but no binding agreement exists on the details or order of legislation. The previous Bennett-Lapid government collapsed before completing its promised laws, a fact that hangs over the current effort.